Under the cover of wings, Gekko Chizan compressed the Tailed Beast Ball into the size of a palm. Though its volume shrank, and the amount of chakra also lessened,
its power, however, had not diminished much. In fact, with the enhancement from the Tailed Beast Ball optimization skill, this one was even more terrifying.
"Chizan, what are you doing?"
"Why did you make such a tiny Tailed Beast Ball? Trying to look cute?"
"If you throw that thing at Shukaku, I bet it won't do anything at all—he'll laugh himself to death."
Hearing Chōmei's confused voice, Gekko Chizan wasn't affected in the slightest. Instead, his smile grew even wider.
As the chakra finished condensing, the miniature Tailed Beast Ball was finally complete.
"Chōmei, watch closely. I'll show you the true essence of the Tailed Beast Ball."
"Take this!"
Spreading his wings, Gekko Chizan launched the freshly made Tailed Beast Ball straight at Shukaku's fat belly.
The moment it appeared, Shukaku, who had been flinging sand, suddenly stopped moving. A mocking grin spread across his face.
"Chōmei, after all these years, you've gone soft. A mini pocket version of the Tailed Beast Ball?"
"Hahahaha! You'll kill me with laughter. With something like that, I don't even need to defend myself."
The taunting tone made Chōmei furious, but since Gekko Chizan was the one in control of the body now, he was helpless.
Still, he trusted that Gekko Chizan wouldn't do something so shameful—this Tailed Beast Ball had to be different.
"Don't worry, Chōmei. When it explodes, rush in and make contact with Shukaku."
"The moment our chakra connects, I'll enter his consciousness and finish off that old monk."
"Once that happens, victory is ours."
On one side was Shukaku's ridicule, on the other was Gekko Chizan's confident plan.
Chōmei chose to believe in him. After all, this kid had never let him down before.
"Alright!"
"I'll leave it to you."
In the blink of an eye, the Tailed Beast Ball slammed into Shukaku's belly.
The palm-sized sphere embedded itself into the fat gut.
This only made Shukaku mock even harder.
"This is supposed to be a Tailed Beast Ball? Hahahaha!"
"No wonder you were such a pathetic bug when you were young, Chōmei. You're hopeless!"
That single line nearly drove Chōmei mad, his eyes glowing red with rage.
But Gekko Chizan held him back.
"Hahaha… eh??"
Shukaku's manic laughter suddenly stopped, replaced by a soul-deep note of confusion.
Because he realized that Chōmei's Tailed Beast Ball wasn't exploding. Instead, it was grinding against his belly.
"What's going on?"
Chōmei was just as stunned. Normally, a Tailed Beast Ball generated some destructive power during launch thanks to dense chakra compression, but its real strength lay in the explosion.
Upon impact with an obstacle, it should have detonated. Yet now, it hadn't—something was very strange.
"Hehehe… fireworks only explode after they've flown into the sky."
"Detonate!"
The instant the word left Gekko Chizan's lips, the embedded Tailed Beast Ball erupted.
What is art? Art is an explosion!
"Impossible!"
Shukaku's panicked roar echoed as the blast consumed him.
The force was overwhelming, completely disproportionate to its size.
His belly burst into sand in an instant, and his main body was blown back by the shockwave.
"Chōmei! Go!"
Though still dazed, Chōmei reacted to Chizan's command and lunged at Shukaku.
The battered beast hadn't recovered yet when Chōmei wrapped around him. At that moment, the advantage of his many tails became clear.
His wings folded tight, trapping Shukaku completely.
The chakra of the two tailed beasts intertwined in an instant.
"Chizan! Now!"
Without waiting for Chōmei's reminder, Gekko Chizan used the chakra link to break into Shukaku's inner world.
Time itself seemed to freeze.
Inside Shukaku's heart world, Gekko Chizan saw the man he was searching for—the monk Bunpuku, Shukaku's current jinchūriki.
"Heh heh heh… I never expected the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki to be so young."
"And your bond with the Seven-Tails is so perfect."
"An old man like me has learned something new today."
Bunpuku showed no surprise at Chizan's intrusion. Instead, he even offered praise.
Gekko Chizan steadied his mind and walked toward him.
"Old monk, you should know why I'm here."
"I do. To kill me."
"Then you won't resist?"
"Heh, why would I? Besides, I'm just an old monk. How could I defend myself against your blade?"
Seeing Bunpuku's serene expression, Gekko Chizan grew more serious.
What kind of people are the most terrifying? Those who have already transcended life and death.
And the man before him was one of them.
"Gekko Chizan, was it? For a Konoha shinobi to also be the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki…"
"From the looks of it, you've kept that identity hidden. You've concealed it well."
"But perhaps that's for the best. At least this way, you won't suffer the torment most jinchūriki endure."
At the mention of torment, Bunpuku let out a self-deprecating chuckle. He was one himself—he knew all too well the misery of that role.
Gekko Chizan didn't speak. Instead, he formed crystalline wing-blades with the Transparent Release and advanced step by step, his killing intent clear.
"So be it. Things have come this far; there's nothing more for this old monk to say."
"Once I die, Shukaku will enter dormancy for many years. Sunagakure and Konoha's war will end."
"But before that, there is one thing I am very curious about."
Gekko Chizan raised the crystal longsword as he stopped before Bunpuku.
"What do you want to know? Since you're about to die, I'll grant you that much."
"How did you and the Seven-Tails reach such harmony? After all, humans and tailed beasts rarely coexist in peace."
The question made Gekko Chizan think of Uzumaki Mito...
The old monk before him had chosen the same path as Mito—transforming a tailed beast through love.
But that was not Gekko Chizan's path.
"I'm not like you. I don't talk about love or anything like that."
"My bond with Chōmei is one of brothers, of partners, of comrades in arms. When one rises, so does the other. When one falls, both fall."
"I saved him. He raised me up. Together, we are the strongest combination."